Donald Trump’s ruthless war on renewables is being met with heavy resistance, as American interest in homegrown, clean energy continues to surge.
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The POTUS declared a National Energy Emergency last year to dramatically increase domestic fossil fuel production and pursue his aggressive “drill, baby, drill” initiatives.
In February, Trump signed an executive order directing the US defence department to buy more electricity generated by coal – which is considered the dirtiest, most polluting way of producing energy.
At the same time, the President has been using his public appearances to snub – or make false claims – about renewable energy. At the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, Trump claimed that China makes “almost all” of the world’s turbines – only to “sell them to stupid people”.
He added that China doesn’t use wind energy for itself, despite the country boasting the world’s largest wind farm which is visible from space.
Previously, Trump has called clean energy the “scam of the century” – putting pressure on countries like the UK to ditch their renewables drive and drill for oil.
Trump wants to stop offshore wind farms. Will it work?
Last year, the Trump Administration attempted to block a string of offshore wind projects, claiming such infrastructure would be a national security risk.
Several federal judges blocked the ban, clearing the way for developers to proceed.
However, the Interior Department has since started buying back offshore wind leases, offering companies reimbursements to invest in fossil fuel projects or other forms of energy such as geothermal.
Eight offshore wind projects have been stopped so far. According to news agency AP, the total amount spent on these agreements is almost $2.6 billion (approximately €2.28 billion).
Back in March, French oil and gas giant TotalEnergies was offered almost $1 billion (€877 million) if it invests money originally intended for offshore leases off the coast of North Carolina and New York in fossil fuels instead.
New York is leading a lawsuit challenging the agreement. This week (Thursday, 26 June) a court in Paris ruled that TotalEnergies can no longer ignore its indirect emissions and the environmental risks caused by the consumption of its products.
It has been given six months to formally assess and report on the environmental risks generated by the use of its fuels and natural gas by consumers.
This week, AP reports that California now intends to sue the administration over its deal to end an offshore wind project proposed off the state’s central coast.
California has made a major commitment to offshore wind because of its potential to generate vast amounts of clean electricity from strong, consistent winds off its coast.
Its strategy calls for the state to develop 25 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2045, enough to power roughly 25 million homes and provide about 13 per cent of the state’s electricity supply.
David Hochschild, California’s Energy Commission Chair, called the administration’s tactics a “strategic mistake of colossal proportions” especially since the war on Iran has spiked fossil fuel prices around the world.
It’s not just wind farms that Trump is determined to stop. The “Big Beautiful Bill”, which was signed into law on 4 July last year, saw the 30 per cent residential solar tax credit scrapped – nearly a decade ahead of schedule.
Homeowners now wanting to install solar panels will pay, on average, $9,000 (€7,900) more than before the bill came into effect on 31 December 2025 – according to Energy Sage.
Solar outperforms coal in the US
Despite the blistering setbacks, solar overtook coal generation in the US electricity mix for the first month on record in May 2026.
According to energy think tank Ember, sunlight supplied a record 12.8 per cent of US electricity, while coal fell to 12.2 per cent, its fourth-lowest monthly share ever.
“Solar generated an all-time high total of 45.5 TWh, exceeding output in May 2025 by 17 per cent and surpassing the previous record set in July last year,” Ember states. “This record could be broken again in the coming summer months.”
While total solar output typically peaks in June or July, its share of the electricity mix is often highest in April or May, when strong solar output coincides with more moderate demand before summer cooling needs increase.
‘Americans are choosing to own their energy’
Several solar firms in the US have also told Euronews Earth that demand for rooftop panels is still rising despite financial deterrents.
California-based firm SolarTech says its 2025 sales more than doubled compared to 2024 – while Exact Solar, based in Pennsylvania, has seen its sales grow by 20 per cent in 2024 and 60 per cent in 2025.
While these sales could be attributed to the rush to install solar before the tax rebate kicked in, solar policy and research specialist Aaron Nichols tells Euronews Earth that Exact Solar is now on track to double its revenue this year and grow by an impressive 100 per cent.
“Even with the current administration removing solar energy tax incentives and trying to revive coal, more Americans are choosing to own their energy than ever before (rather than renting energy from poorly regulated investor-owned utilities),” Nichols says.
“Exact Solar has grown faster in the last two years than at any time before in our 20-year history as a company. It’s becoming abundantly clear that Americans want the ownership and control that solar energy provides.”
New York steps closer to a solar transformation
Last month, state legislators passed the Solar Up Now New York (SUNNY) Act, which aims to legalise plug-in panels. Around 30 states have already legalised plug-in solar, which is already common across Europe – particularly in Germany.
Plug-in solar kits are designed for homes where rooftop panels aren’t suitable. This includes those living in shared accommodation, or those who don’t own the house they live in.
The bill still needs to be delivered and signed by Governor Kathy Hochul, who has until the end of the year to make a decision.
Across the US, nearly half of households can’t access rooftop solar due to renting, living in apartments or having unsuitable roofs. This is even more evident in New York, where the majority of homes are in buildings with multiple units – limiting accessibility of rooftop solar.
New York Times writer Robinson Meyer argues that plug-in solar has the potential to “change how Americans understand and consume energy”, while “recruit[ing] a much larger group of people to cut their greenhouse gas pollution – in particular, renters.”
But with power sector emissions per capita 2.8 times higher than the global average, and the world’s second largest electricity demand, it is clear that the US is still far away from a clean energy transition needed to halt global warming.